


Saving the Dream

by Myani



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Season 3 (The Dragon Prince), Recovery, Subtle-to-Graphic Depictions of Violence, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23178934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myani/pseuds/Myani
Summary: With the return of the Dragon Prince to the Storm Spire and the defenders of peace triumphing over the forces of Dark Magic; our heroes must now combat the forces of darkness attempting to disrupt the peace between the two regions, all while investigating the whereabouts of Viren, who mysteriously disappeared following the Battle of the Storm Spire.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	Saving the Dream

Callum didn’t know what was actively transpiring by the time he reached the top of the Storm Spire. He believed that the battle was well and truly won down below and that all he needed to do now was check on the dragonling, Zym,— and by extension, Rayla,— to see if everything was fine. Ezran was clearly capable of handling everything on the ground, especially since he was with Aunt Amaya and other close advisers. When Callum was dismissed from the field to check on Rayla, he didn’t need to be told twice 

Instead of finding Rayla at the top, however, he found an extremely worried Bait near the steps of the Dragon Queen’s chambers, alongside a large chunk of half-melted and half-broken ice. Zym was nowhere to be found and neither was Rayla. Bait was still tugging at his boots, frantically looking between the young prince and the doorway. Callum had no idea how long he was doing that for, but he didn’t care.

“What’s happened, Bait? Where is everyone?”

Out of nowhere, the chamber started to shake violently. Rubble fell from the ceiling and the vibrations that Callum felt coursing through his body were nothing like anything he ever felt before. That’s when he heard a high-pitched screech coming from beyond the ceiling. It was a fragile wail that set off every single nerve in his body.

“…Zym?”

There was no mistaking it. That was Zym, and something was happening to him. As if pure instinct had taken over, Callum bolted out of the chamber and turned towards the Pinnacle, just in time to witness one of Rayla’s daggers crash to the floor in front of him. She was already fighting Viren on top of the Pinnacle, and Zym was inside the purple whirlwind of dark energy that Viren was controlling. Callum could literally see the lifeforce being drained out of the young dragon. At that moment, he was terrified.

He had to do something. As lacking as Callum was in raw strength, he ran to the top as fast as he could, but the only thing he saw was Rayla desperately charging at Viren, tackling him off the edge.

She just jumped off the spire. Rayla just jumped off the Pinnacle right before Callum’s eyes.

“No, no, no!  _ Rayla!  _ ”, he cried out, physically trembling at what he just witnessed. Rayla had just jumped off the spire and sacrificed herself in order to save Zym, procuring the peace that she, Callum, Ezran, and everyone below them had fought for.

However, this was a different feeling. Emotions were swirling in his head: guilt; anger; sorrow; confusion; worry, and one other particular emotion that he had difficulty conveying. One that pierced through his soul and made him question everything he knew about elven society. A burning desire that could only be acquainted with...

...love. 

Love for the elf that had his back throughout their entire journey to Xadia. Love for the elf that sacrificed everything she had in order to return Zym to his rightful mother. It was love that he was feeling, something that he didn’t want to let go of.

All of these thoughts were racing through his head. Between the moment that Rayla jumped off and the two seconds that passed shortly after, he had already made up his mind.  Callum loved her. He  _ really  _ does,— too much to let her go. The mere thought brought him to tears, but he can’t sit idly by. Not now. The only thing that matters to him is Rayla, and he doesn’t care how he gets her back just as long as he does.

There is no doubt. No second thought. Any fear that he might have had when making his decision was immediately vanquished at the thought of not being able to hear Rayla’s voice again. No one was around to dispute this with him, not that he’d care what they would think.

Without a shred of doubt or hesitation, Callum jumps off the spire. The wind pushing against his face is far stronger than he thought and it was difficult to breathe in the heat of the moment. Within seconds, he spots Rayla, and any sense of fear subsides once more.

“Manus, Pluma, Volantus!”

Nothing happens. 

“Oh, please work, please work...  _ Manus, Pluma, Volantus! _ ”

No change. The fear that Callum had effortlessly suppressed has now reemerged and had him in its grasp. For a second, he genuinely believed that all was lost.

Then she looked up. Her face told him everything that he wanted and needed to hear, and it spoke volumes: She still had hope. Hope in  _ him _ . The fear and dread that Callum felt is finally cast aside for good as a warm and familiar feeling washes over him like a tidal wave. He can no longer hold it back: She has to know. She  _ needs _ to know.

“Rayla… I love you.”

He takes one last breath before trying the spell again. This is the last chance that he has.

_ “Manus, Pluma, Volantus.” _

The three runes that he had painted all the way down his arms began to shine with a light blue color. Almost immediately, the transformation took place. His arms were now replaced by brownish-red wings. Different from Ibis’s own, but they were wings nonetheless. The spell worked.

Wasting no time, he flew down and caught Ralya with her arms dangling around his neck. Viren, who was still falling, couldn’t do anything but stare and scream at the two as he plummeted. Both Callum and Rayla stared at him until his scream was gradually canceled out by the distance widening between them.

Rayla couldn’t contain her joyous surprise to see Callum (also because of the fact that he now had wings). “Callum! But how did you—”

As if on cue, the words left his mouth smoothly. “‘Cause I love you, Rayla. I  _ really _ do.”

“I love you too, Callum.” Every inch of her voice resonated within his soul. This is everything he’s ever wanted.  _ She _ is everything he’s ever wanted. And now, there was nothing standing in their way. 

They quickly closed the distance on each other, with their lips making contact as the winged, human prince skyrocketed upwards toward the Storm Spire.

She is everything that he ever wanted and more.

* * *

There was no denying that the damage Viren and his army inflicted upon Xadia was something to consider when forming treaties that would shape the course of the future for human-elf relations. The losses suffered by the Remnants of Katolis− those who chose to defect following Viren’s coronation− were significant. However, fatalities among the Sunfire elves ranged far greater than what was estimated. 

Lux Aurea contained over half a million Sunfire elves. As Viren marched into the stronghold, he held no remorse for the elves within it, ordering his men to pillage everything in sight. Hundreds upon thousands were slaughtered. Families were separated and children were forced to watch as their parents were pointlessly and brutally murdered for “crimes against humanity”. Every now and then, he would hear rumors of female Sunfire elves being dragged out and—

Before Ezran could even complete that thought, he was snapped back into reality by Opeli.

Despite remaining calm and collected throughout the entire ordeal, he was visibly exhausted. Not only was he riding  _ dragons _ and managing a kingdom (or king _ doms _ , since the Pentarchy was all but incapacitated since the assassinations), but now he had to make sure not to do anything that could possibly set off the recently-awoken Dragon Queen, Zubeia.

He was glad that he wasn’t the only person in the room. Callum and Rayla were with him, as was Queen Aanya, Amaya, Corvus, and even  _ Barius _ , who was silently enjoying a jelly tart in the back alongside Gren.

...great, now  _ he _ wanted a jelly tart.

However, his sweet tooth can wait. What matters right now is what’s right in front of him. Zubeia studied the group of elves and humans, paying close attention to the details of their faces and the emotions they reflected. To Ezran’s surprise, she didn’t show any remorse or anger. Instead, she seemed elated that there were both elves and humans in her chambers, some even holding hands. The room was so quiet that the only thing that was remotely audible was Zym’s delighted chirping.

Ezran couldn’t tell what the Dragon Queen was feeling like, but he was relieved to see a smile forming across her face. “I cannot thank you enough for returning my son to me,” she said. “Ever since my husband, King Avizandum, was slain, I thought I had lost everything. However, upon realizing that my egg had also gone missing, I no longer just ‘thought’ that I lost everything...”, she slowly looked down at Zym, who was calmly resting on her side.

“I  _ did _ lose everything.”

There were a few seconds of silence before Ezran stepped out from the crowd with the crown of Katolis beaming brightly as he looked up to speak.

“I’m so sorry for the devastation that my predecessors caused not just to the region of Xadia, but to you personally. My own father, King Harrow, was a flawed man who allowed dark magic to dictate his feelings and decisions, all the while being manipulated by a powerful dark mage,— the same one who kidnapped Zym and killed the Dragon King,— and chose to continue the fighting.”

Zubeia had been caught off guard when Ezran mentioned that his father was King Harrow. The same man who had slain Avizandum. Although her jaw was agape, she remained silent and allowed him to continue.

“I don’t want to continue fighting. I am not my father, ‘nor do I desire to go into the same direction he did. This sort of meaningless bloodshed was founded upon the idea that the egg of the Dragon Prince was destroyed.” Ezran was now looking down at Zym. “But he wasn’t, and now we’re here. We  _ finally  _ have a chance to make things right. I don’t want any more lives to suffer the consequences of people who came before them. No one should ever have to go through that.”

Zubeia was now, too, looking down at Zym. He could tell that she thought about what he meant and that there was some level of understanding between the two. Zubeia lost both her husband and thought that she had lost her son too, while Ezran lost  _ both _ his mother and father at the hands of Moonshadow assassins sent by the Dragon Queen herself.

“I wholeheartedly agree,” replied Zubeia. “This conflict has gone on for far too long and must be brought to an end.” She now turned to Ibis, who had been quietly listening on the side. “Please summon the other Archdragons. I think it’s time that we cease any and all hostilities between the two regions.”

Ibis obliged, making sure to bow before he exited the chambers.

Zubeia was now looking upon the larger group of people before her. “If you all do not mind, I would like to speak to King Ezran and Prince Callum in private.” The group looked worried, but the Dragon Queen immediately caught onto the implication. “I’m not going to harm them. I just need to… understand some things, is all,” making sure to smile before finishing her sentence.

Ezran faintly heard Rayla telling something to Callum before kissing him on the cheek and exiting the chambers, leaving him with a reddened face that left Zubeia surprised and a bit concerned.

Here they were. Before the Dragon Queen and having delivered her son. Now, they were alone in the Dragon Queen’s chambers with no one else beside them. Under normal circumstances, this would have easily triggered their deepest fears. However, these aren’t normal times, and both Katolans understand this.

“Why?”

The question was so simple, yet caught Ezran and Callum off guard. It took a few moments for the question to fully register before Callum responded, making sure that his voice was clear and that he wasn’t fumbling on his words.

“Up until a few weeks ago, we believed that elves were nothing more than blood-thirsty monsters,” remembering how this sentiment hurt Rayla’s feelings at one point before continuing, “...and that humans weren’t able to do magic. We believed that the Dragon Prince was slain and that a war between the two regions was inevitable.” 

Ezran could practically tell that his brother was struggling to find the right words to explain the situation; but, instead of interrupting, he waited for the right moment to jump in.

Callum continued, “We didn’t think that peace was possible. But, when we found the egg, something in us lit up and drove us to make this journey. I don’t know if it was courage, destiny, or even curiosity, but that didn’t matter. Both our peoples were about to enter a devastating war that would result in the deaths of hundreds of _thousands_ , elves and humans alike.” 

Ezran shuddered at that. Hundreds upon thousands of fatalities,― a portion of which would have been brought on by the forces under Prince Kasif of Neolandia and the combined might of the other kingdoms against Katolis, had he not abdicated the throne in time. He would never allow something like that to ever happen again.

Before he could interject, however, Callum spoke up again. “On the night that King Harrow died, he wrote me a letter and told me that I would read it when I was ready. In it, he explained that history was a narrative of love instead of being something that was already written. We have the right to set our own goals and define our own future, and we felt that by bringing Zym here and reuniting him with his mother, we’d be stopping the cycle.”

Callum looked up to face the Dragon Queen with a confident and almost kinglike expression, similar to that of the one Sarai would often use when addressing issues. “And that’s why we’re doing this,” he stated strongly. “Everyone deserves a better chance at life than what was made for them.”

“I couldn’t have said it any better,” Ezran said while turning to his brother. He and Zubeia were practically beaming by the time he finished. 

“Once again, your desire to influence change and the will to move forward has left me awestruck, Prince Callum. The same goes for you, King Ezran.”

There was a brief, yet oddly welcoming silence between the three of them for a few moments before Ibis re-enters the Dragon Queen’s chambers.

“Your Highness, I’ve delivered the letters to their respective elven districts. We should be getting a reply back within two days.”

Zubeia simply nodded at the Skywing mage, then turned to the two humans still standing before her. “I would start working on your peace treaties and vows if I were you two,” she said with a wider smirk forming across her still-beaming face. “Good luck, you two.”

Ezran and Callum smiled back, making sure to bow before leaving her chambers.

* * *

“It’s too late. I’ve already won.”

He was confident in his victory. The battle below the spire was merely a distraction in order for Viren to seize his real prize: The powers of the Dragon Prince. The elf that was trying to fight against him was powerless, as mere swords would not be able to stop him at this point. He had already absorbed a good portion of the dragonling’s powers, and with Aaravos’s help, he would become unstoppable.

He would save humani―

That thought was immediately cut off by an aggressive shove from the elf who Viren thought that he incapacitated.

**_“_ ** _ No!” _ , he yelled out. He was already several dozen meters below the Pinnacle and the only thing he could see was the dragonling barely being able to fly back to safe ground and the falling Moonshadow elf that pushed him off.

Aaravos was at his left, standing upright as he was also falling at the same speed Viren was. He looked discontent. At that moment, he saw something―or someone―with a pair of wings swooped down the spire and caught the falling Moonshadow elf. He saw a glimpse of a tunic with red and gold colors being worn by a human with black h―

It was Harrow’s step-son, Prince Callum. He was flying.

_ He was flying?! _

Viren gazed upon the Startouch elf with desperation, hoping that he would be able to do something that could possibly help him get out of this. Instead, all Aaravos could say was, “I’m sorry for doing this to you,” before disappearing into the clouds ahead of him.

All Viren could do was scream. And scream, he did, as his body hit the ground seconds later with such a strong impact that everything went black immediately.

  
  


...

  
  


Viren regained consciousness in a cold sweat, with each and every breath being heavier than the last. He felt extremely exhausted and he didn’t know why, as he had no recollection of what happened to him before the fall.

As his breathing became more steady, he took a moment to survey his surroundings. He was in a plain field with tall grass surrounding him with no end in sight. The skies above him were painted a solid light blue; there were no clouds and the sun was beaming brightly down upon his gloomy figure. Viren, himself, felt about as normal as normal could be. There were no signs of trauma or injury over any part of his body, although he knew for absolute certainty that he had, indeed, fallen.

_ ‘Am I in the afterlife?’ _ , he thought to himself. There was nothing around him except for lush greenness and—

_ ‘Wait a minute, who’s that?’ _

There was a figure standing a few feet away from him, seemingly admiring the scenery around them. They were turned around, so it was difficult to distinguish any sort of facial or bodily features that could help identify who the person was; or, rather,  _ what _ it was. 

Intrigued, Viren trod closer to the figure, hoping to make contact. He was subconsciously hoping that, whatever it was, it could provide answers for the circumstances that he was in. It was a longshot, but worth a try.

As he drew closer and closer to the figure, the scenery around Viren shifted. The tall grasses surrounding him began to smolder into burned remains. The sky began to form grey clouds with hints of red and black mixed between them. 

What really caught the High Mage off guard was the smell of death that emanated from the figure before him, who was now a mere five feet away from him. This wretched smell,—  _ Gods _ , it was the worst thing that he had ever encountered. It was as if death itself was manifesting right before his very eyes.

And that’s when the figure turned around to face him.

It wore red and golden colors with the design of their clothing being similar to that of a Katolan, sporting a blue jacket, red scarf, and a… book of some sort strapped across the shoulders, with… green  eyes and… brown hair… 

_ “Callum?” _ , Viren asked, perplexed at the sight.

The figure, to which the High Mage now knew with absolute certainty was a manifestation of the step-son of King Harrow, was motionless and emotionless, only staring at him before slowly raising his arm to point behind the man. Although obscured by the seemingly battle-scarred horizon, Viren turned his head to see a fraction of land that he immediately recognized: Katolis. He could also see the other four kingdoms of Duran, Del Bar, Neolandia, and Evenere.

“How many people do you think live there, Viren?”, Callum asked. 

The question was delivered with a cold sharpness. There was no hesitation or fear in the figure’s voice. It felt sinister, which was unsettling considering Callum’s foolish nature. As he was about to respond, the figure spoke up again.

“You’re going to bend every single person to your will and they’re going to die because of it. All of them.”

Viren couldn’t understand what the figure was trying to imply, but upon hearing the dragons that were high above him, already heading towards the human kingdoms, his stomach dropped to the ground as realization began to sink in. 

“You  _ can’t  _ be saying… all five kingdoms?  _ Millions _ of innocent people! Families!  _ Children! _ ” The way that the High Mage spoke felt all too familiar, as if he were placed in a situation similar to this so long ago.

The figure merely shook his head. “Even if I agreed with you, it doesn’t matter now. What’s done is done, and you signed their death warrants the moment that they chose to take up arms with you.” There was no room for discussion in his voice; only finality. 

Viren collapsed to the floor as he watched the group of dragons hurling towards the five kingdoms, each dragon separating towards different kingdoms. The figure spoke up one last time before stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder, “I hope you’ll understand the meaning of this one day.” They both looked onward at the impending devastation that the dragons were about to inflict.

In a matter of seconds, Viren witnessed the dragons burning the lands to ash. Castles; markets; houses; hospitals, farms;  _ everything. _ He could hear the screams of millions ringing through his ears, begging for help and crying for mercy. 

_ “NO!” _ His scream was piercingly loud, complete with horror and anguish. 

This was a nightmare like no other.

  
  


...

  
  


Viren’s uncontrolled gasping was the only thing that caught Claudia’s attention at the time, seeing as how there was literally nothing else around her except that thing that had strewn itself into a glowing, purple-blueish cocoon.

“Wh− what…”; his question failed to escape his mouth, as the sudden dryness and pain in the back of his head began to ache horribly. He felt as if death were taking hold of his very essence.

“What… what’s going on?” He looked up to find Claudia in the process of completing a spell, with half of her hair having changed from black to white. It was the only thing that he took immediate notice of before trying to get a grip on the reality of the situation before him. 

“Somehow, I… I survived the fall?”, he asked.

“No. You didn’t.” Claudia’s voice broke and he could’ve sworn that she was about to cry, but as she got up to caress his face with her palm, Viren now understood that this  _ was _ reality and that he  _ was _ alive, something that took him by surprise as she came into immediate contact with him.

“But… you’re okay now.” 

There was a brief moment of silence between the two, as both began to regain their composure. However, as if he was so used to the company of his “little bug ‘pal”, he instinctively reached for his ear, only to realize that the creature that he carried was no longer with him.

“Where is—”

“Your creepy caterpillar friend?”, Claudia interjected. She chuckled before continuing, “Two days ago, it climbed up that wall and spun itself… into  _ that, _ ” pointing at the large cocoon that she had desperately tried to ignore ever since she arrived at the cave. 

The cocoon pulsing in every possible area and strewn across a tightly compacted wall. Inside, there was a humanoid figure slowly forming with its legs held toward the torso. Horns could be seen forming above the head, although they were not fully developed. The head was moving unnaturally to the rest of the body, practically bouncing up and down every few moments.

Claudia spoke with a clear hint of fear that Viren had never heard from her daughter before, “It’s changing.”

* * *

At the battlezone, many of the bodies that were recovered were categorized accordingly between elf and human. All of the bodies were accounted for except for one: Viren.

General Amaya and Janai, both taking absolutely no chance in wanting to gamble with the preconceived notion that Viren  _ couldn’t _ have survived, ordered the complete search of the entire battlefield and, if necessary, the entire area surrounding the spire itself. There wouldn’t be a square inch of land that wouldn’t be checked.

One of the lieutenants that Janai had assigned reported back, stating that, although the remains of Viren were unrecognizable, they did find something of interest at a certain spot directly below the Pinnacle of the spire. 

Upon closing in on that spot on horseback, the first thing they noticed is the amount of dried blood and mud that was scattered across the ground. Amaya was unsure what to make of it, but Janai easily concluded that the High Mage had fallen to the ground and must’ve “splattened” (in her own words) upon impact.

“He is as good as dead,” Janai stated.

The lieutenant seemed pleased to see that the Sunfire elf wasn’t mad, but digressed. “Seemingly, ma’am; however, that’s not what we were concerned about,” holding out a leather bag to the commander. Janai was hesitant at first, but took the bag and examined its contents.

Her jaw dropped upon realizing that the metallic objects within the bag had all contained faces that were looking directly at her, with only two other coins being obscured from view. Many of them looked like elves while others seemed to be human.

Closing the bag shut, Janai handed it to Amaya, who was deeply confused with the expression that she had on her face. “Get that to the Dragon Queen,” she says. “She needs to see it.” 

Amaya nods, taking the bag and heading towards the stairs of the spire. 

“In the meantime,” she begins,− this time, speaking to the lieutenant,− pointing at the trail of blood that was leading into a nearby forest, “follow that trail and see where it leads. If you find anything, do not engage. Report back whatever you saw.”

The lieutenant quickly saluted the Sunfire elf commander and headed back to their respective search party, getting ready for the scouting mission that was ahead of them. 

As the group prepared to make their journey in the forest, Janai couldn’t help but sigh in exhaustion for everything that’s been going on since they arrived at the Storm Spire.  _ ‘This is going to be a long recovery,’ _ she mumbles to herself.

**Author's Note:**

> This is more or less of a pilot to a much, much more elaborate series that I'd like to expand upon if there are a good number of people who wish to see more of this sort of content.
> 
> If you enjoyed this or have reservations of any kind, please let me know.


End file.
